Say no to aunt flow? Forever?
A new birth control pill says it can stop periods. Forever.
"Women looking for a simple way to avoid their menstrual period could soon have access the first birth control pill designed to let women suppress monthly bleeding indefinitely.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expect to announce approval Tuesday for Lybrel, a drug from Wyeth which would be the first pill to be taken continuously."
"Still, some women raise concerns about whether blocking periods is safe or natural. Baltimore health psychologist Paula S. Derry wrote in an opinion piece in the British Medical Journal two weeks ago that “menstrual suppression itself is unnatural,” and that there’s not enough data to determine if it is safe long-term."
"Most doctors say there’s no medical reason women need monthly bleeding and that it triggers health problems from anemia to epilepsy in many women. They note women have been tinkering with nature since the advent of birth control pills and now endure as many as 450 periods, compared with 50 or so in the days when women spent most of their fertile years pregnant or breast-feeding."
"In testing of Lybrel, 59 percent of women ended up with no bleeding after six months, but 18 percent of women dropped out of studies because of spotting and breakthrough bleeding."
"Dr. Mindy Wiser-Estin, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Little Silver, N.J., has long advocated menstrual suppression.
She has seen a big increase in the last year in patients asking about it, but has one concern that leads her to encourage younger women to take a break every 12 weeks. About 1 percent of oral contraceptive users become pregnant each year, and young women taking continuous pills who have never been pregnant may not recognize the symptoms, she said.
“They may not know it in time to do something about it,” Wiser-Estin said."
So ladies, if you could never have your cycles again, would you do it?
There are risks, like you could still be in that 1 percent who end up pregnant, but you may not get any symptoms of pregnancy due to the pill, or you could get breakthrough spotting when not expected.
Would any of you take those chances to permanently keep aunt flow away?
Comments
I would say "OMG, this is a dream come true for me, just the thing I've been looking for, SIGN ME UP!" buti I wonder if it can be all that healthy. You can suppress periods for few at a time with regular birth control pills, too. But it's probably not any safer or better that way.
Posted by: DSB | May 19, 2007 11:04 AM
I have been taking my pill non stop with no period for lets see its been two years in june since I've had a period and I love it no pms no cramps and no migraines but I have done this for medical reasons and I have my tubes tied so no chance of having a baby anyways. I dont think young girls should do it but when you are no longer want children its great. JMO
Posted by: shell | May 19, 2007 1:06 PM
A big fat resounding YES, I would do it. My periods have always been hell on earth. Some months, they would be so painful that I couldn't move, and every month, very heavy flow. I would have killed for something like that back in the day.
But now, the old bat hasn't shown up around here in months...I think nature has finally decided that my 30+ years of hell are about to come to an end. The worst hot flashes from hell HAVE to be better than any periods I have ever had.
Good riddance, I say. And good riddance also to buying expensive tampons and pads and stuff.
Posted by: Christine | May 19, 2007 4:07 PM
Where do I sign up?????? Where's that link? :)
Posted by: Lisa | May 20, 2007 9:33 AM
Na, not like that. The way things go, five years from now they're going to be saying that crap gives you cancer. I don't have too many years left (oh please please please) so I'll just deal with it 'til it stops on its own.
Posted by: Leigh | May 20, 2007 7:58 PM
on one hand it's appealing, but i wouldn't jump on that... i can't imagine that it's very healthy.
Posted by: wiccania | May 21, 2007 12:05 PM
I started on Seasonale two years ago (the one where you only get your period four times a year) and I'm SO glad I did. I've never had ANY problems with it, and quite frankly, if my doc said it was okay to have NO periods, you can be sure I'd be on that bandwagon in a heartbeat!
Posted by: Lisa | May 21, 2007 2:27 PM